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2:18 The term “antichrist” appears only in the letters of John. It means one opposed to Christ and in popular culture is usually thought of as a kind of archenemy of Christ. But John says there are “many antichrists,” many whose teaching is opposed to that of Christ. These false teachers “went out from us”—in other words, at one time they were part of the community. That can make “antichrists” hard to identify.
The Fifth Trumpet (Revelation 9), Flemish medieval art
2:27 The “anointing” referred to here is the gift of the Holy Spirit given to the baptized, source of wisdom and understanding.
m. [2:17] Is 40:8; Mt 7:21; 1 Cor 7:31; 1 Pt 4:2.
n. [2:18] 1 Tm 4:1.
o. [2:20] Jn 14:26.
p. [2:21] 3:19; 2 Pt 1:12.
q. [2:22] 2 Thes 2:4.
r. [2:23] Jn 14:7–9.
s. [2:24] Jn 14:23.
t. [2:25] Jn 5:24; 10:28; 17:2.
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in the world, sensual lust,* enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. 17Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.m
Antichrists. 18Children, it is the last hour;* and just as you heard that the antichrist was coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. Thus we know this is the last hour.n 19They went out from us, but they were not really of our number;* if they had been, they would have remained with us. Their desertion shows that none of them was of our number. 20But you have the anointing that comes from the holy one,* and you all have knowledge.o 21I write to you not because you do not know the truth but because you do, and because every lie is alien to the truth.p 22* Who is the liar? Whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Whoever denies the Father and the Son, this is the antichrist.q 23No one who denies the Son has the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.r
Life from God’s Anointing. 24s Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.* 25And this is the promise that he made us: eternal life.t 26I write you these things about those who would deceive you. 27As for you, the anointing that you
received from him remains in you, so that you do not need anyone to teach you. But his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and not false; just as it taught you, remain in him.
Children of God. 28* And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have con dence and not be put to shame by him at his coming. 29If you consider that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by him.
* [2:16] Sensual lust: literally, “the lust of the esh,” inordinate desire for physical grati- cation. Enticement for the eyes: literally, “the lust of the eyes,” avarice or covetousness; the eyes are regarded as the windows of the soul. Pretentious life: literally, “pride of life,” arrogance or ostentation in one’s earthly style of life that re ects a willful independence from God and others.
* [2:18] It is the last hour: literally, “a last hour,” the period between the death and resurrection of Christ and his second coming. The antichrist: opponent or adversary of Christ; the term appears only in 1 John–2 John, but “pseudochrists” (translated “false messiahs”) in Mt 24:24 and Mk 13:22, and Paul’s “lawless one” in 2 Thes 2:3, are similar gures. Many antichrists: Matthew, Mark, and Revelation seem to indicate a collectivity of persons, here related to the false teachers.
* [2:19] Not really of our number: the apostate teachers only proved their lack of faith by leaving the community.
* [2:20] The anointing that comes from the holy one: this anointing is in the Old Testament sense of receiving the Spirit of God. The holy one probably refers to Christ. True knowledge is the gift of the Spirit (cf. Is 11:2), and the function of the Spirit is to lead Christians to the truth (Jn 14:17, 26; 16:13).
*[2:22–23] Certain gnostics denied that the earthly Jesus was the Christ; to deny knowledge of the Son is to deny the Father, since only through the Son has God been fully revealed (Jn 1:18; 14:8–9).
* [2:24] Continuity with the apostolic witness as proclaimed in the prologue is the safeguard of right belief.
* [2:28–29] Our con dence at his judgment is based on the daily assurance of salvation. Our actions re ect our true relation to him.